Baseball

“I wrote 63 songs this year. They’re all about Jeter.” Just kidding. The game we love, the players we hate, and more.

Culture and Criticism

From Norman Mailer to Wendy Pepper — everything on film, TV, books, music, and snacks (shut up, raisins), plus the Girls’ Bike Club.

Donors Choose and Contests

Helping public schools, winning prizes, sending a crazy lady in a tomato costume out in public.

Stories, True and Otherwise

Monologues, travelogues, fiction, and fart humor. And hens. Don’t forget the hens.

The Vine

The Tomato Nation advice column addresses your questions on etiquette, grammar, romance, and pet misbehavior. Ask The Readers about books or fashion today!

The Vine: March 16, 2012
March 16, 2012 · 15 Comments
The Vine: March 16, 2012

There is this book I read in the library at my elementary school, and I have been trying to remember what it was called ever since, because I loved it so much. It was a …

The Vine: March 14, 2012
March 14, 2012 · 53 Comments
The Vine: March 14, 2012

I’m in the biggest fight of my life and I’m not even angry, at least not yet.
Several years ago my sister met, dated, and got engaged to a man who was arrested for having child …

Movie Meetup: The Trouble With Bliss
March 10, 2012 · 19 Comments
Movie Meetup: <I>The Trouble With Bliss</I>

Edited 3/7 to add: tickets on sale now, clickety click oo-ahhhh!
I’m juuuuust about ready to start watching movies again; why not start with The Trouble With Bliss! Produced by the Couch Baron and starring Michael …

The Vine: March 9, 2012
March 9, 2012 · 26 Comments
The Vine: March 9, 2012

It is entirely possible that I have managed to conjure the most bizarre Ask the Readers question in the history of The Vine. It is also possible that no one has an answer other than, …

The Vine: March 7, 2012
March 7, 2012 · 25 Comments
The Vine: March 7, 2012

Long-time reader, first-time writer for the Vine, and I have a new-to-me etiquette question.
I belong to a church that is very open to GLBT folks and we get involved in GLBT rights events on a …

The Vine: March 2, 2012
March 2, 2012 · 37 Comments
The Vine: March 2, 2012

I’m hoping crowd-sourcing an answer on this might get better results than my fruitless Googling? I’m after a kids’ or YA book that I would have read back in the early ’80s, most likely. The …

Death Is Not An Option: Hoarders Cleaning Specialist Edition
March 1, 2012 · 35 Comments
Death Is Not An Option: <I>Hoarders</I> Cleaning Specialist Edition

Tough call. I love Matt Paxton’s podcast; I love sassy Matt Paxton, period. And Cory Chalmers is maybe still trying to figure out his facial hair (that goatee was catastrophic), plus…a grown man named “Cory.” …

Leap Vine: February 29, 2012
February 29, 2012 · 25 Comments
Leap Vine: February 29, 2012

I have a question regarding what to do about a depressed adult.
Backstory: My mother died of breast cancer three years ago. She was the stronghold of our family: the sweet, kind, funny, loving parent. She …

TN Read-Along #14: The Great Influenza
February 27, 2012 · 14 Comments
TN Read-Along #14: <I>The Great Influenza</I>

(cue “I don’t see what’s so great about it” jokes)
Hey, remember everything that ISN’T the Oscars Death Race? Me neither! Awesome! …I’m so sorry about the protracted service interruption, guys. I’ve missed you, and all …

Oscars Death Race: Last day
February 26, 2012 · 18 Comments
Oscars Death Race: Last day

UPDATE 2:30 PM
Sarah 61, Oscars 0
Thanks for all the support and comments, and a hat tip to everyone else who raced along with me. I am THRILLED that the third time was the charm; consider …